Monday 3-1-2010

So it has been a couple of weeks since I last volunteered. The clinic was closed due to various reasons but I was more than ready to be back!

I came in today expecting to pick up where I left off but the whole staff changed! I found out that the medical assistant and the family nurse practitioner were on maternity leave and there were a couple of new interns inside the clinic. With that said, and the clinic host missing today, I worked the host desk again. Things were random today because of the rain so there would be moments when the clinic was empty and there were others when the clinic was buzzing with people. Sometimes, I forget how humbling this opportunity is.

Around 10:30 A.M. everyday, the cafeteria man from downstairs brings up a cart filled with plates of food for the patients that are waiting in the clinic. Each day has a different meal, and each patient must have a lunch ticket in order to receive a plate. Well today, there was a man in his mid thirties or late forties, that wanted to eat but did not have a ticket. A fragile old woman, that could possibly be in her seventies, pushed herself out of her chair, wobbled over to the cart, and got a tray of food only to give it to the man. The man realized what she was doing and met her halfway, thanking her and making sure she did not want to eat. She smiled and said "Son, you'll need it more than I do." I am not sure what she meant by this, but the overall gesture was heartwarming. These men and women, that have so little, are willing to share with one another the little that they have.

When they were eating, all I could hear was how good and wonderful the food was. The meal was simply garlic bread, spaghetti sauce, with a salad but one could have easily mistaken it for a five star meal from all the commotion that they were making. I have never heard of anyone complaining about the food and it really goes to show how these people are not only willing to share the little that they have with one another, but they appreciate every bit of it. Being around such an atmosphere really helps me reflect upon myself and it allows me appreciate the gifts in my life.

Quote of the day:
"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."
- Voltaire